The Shepard Files
by Irishandveryproud
Summary: A set of interviews with Commander John Shepard following the end of "The Reaper War" these files are highly classified and shall not be released without the consent of Shepard. These interviews cover many aspects of the Shepard's early life and career, his battle with Saren and the collectors to the war that nearly destroyed the galaxy. These are his words uncensored and dangerous
1. Chapter 1

**Introduction.**

"It's hard enough fighting a war, but it's worse knowing no matter how hard you try… you can't save them all."

Commander Shepard of The SSV Normandy.

(Below is an extract taken from the interviews conducted by renowned journalist Michael Davin of Commander John Shepard these interviews are considered highly classified and not to be released for public viewing until permission is given by Commander Shepard or upon his death.)

Interview No. 1, 2:00, The Citadel.

MD: "Hello Commander my name is Michael Davin as I'm sure you already know and I must say that I am overjoyed that you accepted my request to let me interview you. But I find myself intrigued as to why you accepted me over the many thousands of others who requested an audience with you.

JS: "Mr Davin I chose you because of your experience during the reaper war, you witnessed some of its worst atrocities and still delivered your stories. Your reports are unclouded and unbiased, you are not some chest pounding Alliance patriot nor are you a Xenophobic Cerberus sympathiser. Those are the reasons why I picked you".

MD: "Why thank you Shepard I feel as if my ego just increased dramatically (nervous chuckle) but may I also ask you another question just before we officially get started?"

JS: "Sure ask away"

MD: "Why did you concede to have this interview?"

JS: "I just want to make sure everything that happened isn't forgotten, I'll answer all your questions to the best of my abilities. Also my kid might want to see a book written by her dad in the future and I'm terrible at writing so this is the next best thing"

MD: "(Hearty laugh) I know how you feel I've got two of my own both teenagers, they were like that when I first got started but then they keep getting embarrassed every time they see dads face on the headlines. How old is your daughter if you don't mind me asking?"

JS: "She's 5 months since yesterday"

MD: Once again congratulations to yourself and to Miss Lawson"

JS: "Thank you I'll be sure to pass that on"

MD: "Well it seems like I've gone a bit off topic my apologies Commander. Right well let's start at the beginning shall we, not many people know the origin story of Commander Shepard"

JS: "Ok where would you like me to start?"

MD: "At the very beginning"

End of File 1.

(Hey there this is my first foray into the fantastic world of Mass effect I'm still new to this whole writing for fanfiction thing, I'm hoping to write up interviews between Shepard and Michael, this is set after the main game The reapers have been defeated you will find out more about my Shepard as we go along I am taking liberties with his origin story and early military career but I will be staying loyal to the lore. I'd love it if people would review and tell me what ye think all advice and constructive criticism are welcome. Also tell me in the reviews what kind of questions you want answered, I might also write write military style reports to give much more depth to the world in between interviews but that's up to ye if you would like to see that. Anyway review follow or whatever I'm testing the water of Mass Effect and only time will tell if it's too hot too cold or just right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

Why is it that whenever someone says "with all due respect," they really mean "kiss my ass?"

Spectre Agent Ashley Williams.

File No. 2, 2:10, The Citadel.

JS: "I was born April the 11, 2154 on Mindoir a small border colony in the Attican Traverse, it was predominantly an agri colony growing crops and herding livestock for the bigger colony's closer to earth."

MD: "And what sort of upbringing did you have there?"

JS: "It was a hard life but an honest one my mother and father owned a small farm just outside the village where I went to school, it was hard work, early in the morning from the age of seven me and my father would get up at six in the morning check on the machinery make sure the water dispensers were working, run repairs and pretty much any maintenance work that needed done. My father was a good honest hard working man who wanted the best for his family.

MD: "What about your mother?"

JS: "She was the glue that held us together I remember her having dinner ready for me after school a steaming pile of fresh food most of it from our own farm the rest from the market in town. All this to prepare me for more work after dinner, she was a loving caring woman there was nothing that could make her frown she would always have a smile or an encouraging comment to get me and dad through the day. Then came the raid…"

MD: "I can stop the interview if you'd like Shepard"

JS: "No its fine I have mourned already for my family and friends I have accepted what happened.

JS: " I was young only fourteen when the batarian pirates attacked Mindoir, I woke to the smell of smoke and the sound of screaming I left my room still in my pj's and entered the kitchen where my parents were arguing. My dad had a gun in his hand and was shouting saying he had to join the rest of the militia defend the town, my mother begged him not to go saying that the Alliance will come that all he had to do was stay here and protect his family, my father swore and said nobody is coming and that he loves her, he opened the door and left. That was the last time I saw my father, my mother turns to me and ushers me back to my room I refuse and state that I want to help. Just before my mother can say anything to me we are rocked by an explosion. We are blown back several feet, by the time my vision cleared all I could see were boots and all I could hear was the harsh language of the batarians, three of them had entered the ruins of my home, my mother was lying on her back with numerous pieces of glass In her throat and face….she was dead. When the pirates realised I was awake they picked me up and dragged me to a nearby shuttle, I was still dazed from the explosion and the last things I saw were the dead bodies of my friends lying in the street the village on fire and the screaming…..the screaming didn't stop until the shuttle door closed on me.

MD: "Why didn't the alliance come the colony's aid?"

JS: "They did but they arrived too late to stop the pirates, they left with the slaves that they had taken, including myself."

MD: "Was there any reason for such a large scale attack on a human colony world?"

JS: "It was in response to aggressive human expansion in the Skyllian Verge."

MD: "So what happened after you were taken by the pirates".

JS: "Me and three other colonists I didn't know were sold to an illegal mining corporation called Eskiva on the planet of Nar Hadda. When we arrived we were struck by how huge it was, hundreds of thousands of slaves from all different species were working in the mine. We operated the machinery for thirteen hours a day than half an hour lunch than sleep. Once I started work in the mine I didn't see sun until I was liberated five years later.

MD: "What happened to the three other colonists that were with you?"

JS: "They died on the fifth day operating an out of date laser drill it exploded right in front of them. Nar Hadda mine was hell on earth over three hundred prisoners died each day from accidents, mistreatment by guards, riots, sickness or malnourishment.

,MD: "How did you survive this?"

JS: "I was teamed up with another guy the same age as me his name was Otto Malarky, he came from earth, ran with a gang call the tenth street reds there, he taught me how to defend myself and in return I taught him to read, his lessons were just me scratching the symbols into the dirt and trying my best to teach him, we became like brothers and always had each others back. One day another prisoner tried to steal our food, Otto and I leapt on him and stabbed him to death, our actions caught the attention of the guards and another prisoner called Patrick. Just before the guards could get to us Patrick swoops in says a few quick words to the guards and they back off dragging the corpse of the prisoner we killed behind them.

MD: "That was unexpected Shepard…."

JS: "When I was in that place I was in no way the man you see before you, you had to be someone else to survive, a cold hearted killer preferably.

MD: "So who was this Patrick?"

JS: "He was the head of the Nar hadda chapter of "The Battering Rams" a prison gang that operates in prisons in over three systems and members not in jail run smuggling and vice operations in those same systems".

MD: "I've heard of them they claim you were once a member"

JS: "I was, me and Otto were offered a place in the rams, all we'd have to do once we took the ink was follow orders and our stay in hell would be a lot easier."

MD: "I take it you and Otto took their offer?"

JS: (Shepard rolls up the sleeve of his right arm revealing the image of a rams head) "It was a human only gang it ran smuggling rackets in the slave mine getting stuff in from our brothers outside, we killed guards and inmates people wanted dead, but the rams specialty was punishment sentences."

MD: "What were punishment sentences?"

JS: "Someone would want another person to suffer, that person might have ripped him off in some business venture or killed his or her partner it didn't matter, that person was taken to Nar hadda by slavers paid to take him there. Than once he's in the mines it was our turn. The rams even had a song that we all learnt when we joined, it was meant to keep our mind focused on the job.

MD: "Could you perhaps sing it for me?"

JS: "Of course, I don't think it's something anyone could forget"

JS: "We stabs ' em,

We fights ' em

Cripples ' em

Bites ' em

No rules for our mayhem.

You pay us , we slays ' em

Pay us a visit,

The Battering Rams.'

MD: "Wow Shepard I had no idea your life in prison was like this, we were always taught that you just survived until you were liberated. May I ask how many people did you kill for the rams during your five years with them?".

JS: "I killed five, Otto killed eleven. That's only taking into account the people we killed on jobs there were four others I killed in riots and fights over turf with other gangs in the mine.

MD: "So by the time you tuned nineteen you had killed nine people?"

JS: "That is correct".

MD: "Shepard I must say I was not expecting this"

JS: "You wanted the truth Mr Davin I am giving you it"

MD: "My apologies commander please continue"

End of File 2.

( I Hope my shepherd is taking shape please review and tell me what you think and if you want MD to ask a question just send me a message and I will slip it in there. Until next time.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2.**

"Human nobility. I didn't know such a thing existed."

Unnamed Batarian.

File No.3, 2:20, The Citadel.

MD: "How were you liberated Commander?"

JS: "One day while we were in our bunks in the slave pens we were awoken to the sound of explosions and gunfire before any of us realised what was going on a group of Alliance soldiers burst into the room with the torches on the end of their rifles blinding us, they ordered us all down on the ground, many people, myself included were dragged from their bunks and flung to the floor, once everything had calmed down they lined us up against the wall and began examining all the male human slaves, they were looking for tattoos, when they began leading away fellow rams in omni cuffs I knew something was wrong"

MD: "Why were the Alliance targeting the battering rams?"

JS: "Turns out that one of the guys receiving a punishment sentence turned out to be a high up alliance politician, some rams on the outside had kidnapped him for some billionaire with a grudge, and turns out the Alliance soldiers were all N7 operatives and had been tracking the kidnapped politician for months."

MD: "Didn't you have the battering ram tattoo, did they find it?"

JS: "Yes they did but when it came to my turn….i wasn't going down without a fight, I had hidden a shiv in my sleeve and when one of the operatives came to me and demanded I show him my arm… I stabbed him in the side but it failed to pierce his armour. He shouted and knocked me over with the butt of his rifle, seeing me in trouble Otto runs in to help but gets bowled over by another operative. Otto and me are both on the ground mewling in pain and the man I tried to stab looms over us and takes off his face, They're just kids he says, and orders a medic over, we are taken away."

MD: "Did you ever meet that N7 officer again?"

JS: Yes I did indeed, after the mines liberation he offered me and Otto a choice, join the marines make something of our lives or go to prison once more, of course we picked the first option."

MD: "What was the name of that N7 officer?."

JS: "David Anderson"

MD: "The David Anderson?"

JS: "Yes when I said we went far back I meant it, he got me into the military and he was there when I graduated to N7".

MD: "Wow… moving on what was your early military career like?"

JS: "It was mostly patrols, and garrison duty and the occasional gunfight with armed gangs that the police couldn't handle, outside of that for me and Otto it was all about loud music cheap booze and loose women".

MD: "Any notable experiences before your promotion to N7?"

JS: "Yes actually the event that caused my nomination to the N7 training programme."

MD: "What was that?"

JS: We were stationed on…

(There is a sudden rap at the door, putting a stop to our interview. I notice Shephards expression changing to one of both relief and anxiety. The sound of boots clicking against metal fills the room as a woman enters, striding past me and stopping at Shepherd's side. Her beauty is unparalleled, her appearance striking both awe and fear into the heart of any who gaze upon her. Her pale skin gives a drastic contrast against her auburn hair, and her dress sense is obviously inspired from a life in the military. Her boots rise up to her knees, merging seamlessly with her tight fitting jeans. A leather jacket practically moulds itself to her figure, as does the top she wears beneath it. She leans forward, whispering into Shepherd's ear as she hands him a datapad. His face turns suddenly grave as she speaks. Whatever she has told him cannot be a good tiding, and judging by the Commanders' expression, the material on the data pad is no different)

JS: "Mr Davin I am sorry about this but I must post pone our session for today, something has come up".

MD: "That's fine Mr Shepard I understand"

(Shepard leaves out an exasperated sigh, pausing briefly before rising from his seat. He gives a sad, but affectionate look to the woman. I do not recognise her, but I can definitely see that she means a great deal to the Commander. My suspicions of a personal intimacy are confirmed as he leans closer to her, pressing a kiss against her cheek and walking away with an obvious purpose. To my surprise, the woman lingers, turning towards me. She casts a glance at me which, on the surface, seems welcoming. However, I can see that she is apprehensive behind it all)

ML: Mr Davin my name is Miranda Lawson it's a pleasure to meet the man interviewing Shepard.

MD: "The pleasure is all mine Ms Lawson, I am privileged that Shepard chose me, it'll be good for him to finally get the truth on record "

(Miranda leans over the table, gripping either side of it with her hands. She looks me dead in the eyes, almost commanding me to give her my full attention)

ML: ""You might want to check up your definition of truth, Davin. Are you talking about what you've been spoon fed over the last three years, or what actually happened?"

(Miranda's eyes narrow to slits as she stares into my eyes, almost burrowing into the depths of my soul. Her words resound within my mind, and I begin to finally realise the extent of her loyalty to Shepard. She turns without uttering a word, and exits the room. However, even after her departure, I can still feel her cold demeanour lodging in my bones. I'm almost afraid to move, lest I aggravate her in some fashion. I can see her being rather obstreperous in future)

End Of File 3.

Authors note, I updated this chapter with the help of a very good friend of mine who is now my editor, I really need feedback from ye guys in the reviews as I want to see what ye think


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3.**

"Secrets are like herpes. If you got 'em, might as well spread 'em around!"

Harkin ex C-Sec officer.

File No.4, 5:00, The Citadel, 1 Week later,

JS: "Hello again Mr Davin, once again I apologise for the wait it's just, things are a bit hectic at the moment, very hectic."

MD: "It's perfectly understandable Shepard given the current state of things".

JS: "Yes things are only going to get worse before they get better".

(Shepard pauses and the look on his face changes to that of man who is tired of everything and is vulnerable, however almost as quickly as this visage is shown than it quickly disappears, replaced by the stone cold face of a man who is in control of his emotions)

MD: "I believe you were just about to tell me about the events that led to your N7 nomination"

JS: "Oh right sorry, we were stationed on a planet called Avionsyl it was a well-established colony bordering batarian space, Avionsyl was a successful colony with a large population, however it was unsatisfied with Alliance rule".

MD: "Unsatisfied, why?"

JS: "There had been numerous pirate attacks on shipping and small raiding on the planet itself, the colonists were getting pissed off, and for good reason, they had a small garrison and no navy presence, thousands of credits worth of cargo was being lost weekly, and on top of that they still had to pay taxes and make their quotas to the Alliance, of course people got angry"

MD: "What did the colonists do?"

JS: "They staged protests and strikes, all off world traffic ceased and the factory's shut down for weeks, the Alliance response was swift, police brutality was rampant, by the time the riots were stopped by the police the damage was done, many people on Avionsyl wanted out of the Alliance, that's how the AIA (Avionsyl, Independence, Army) was formed.

MD: "What sort of things did the AIA do?"

JS: "The usual things an underground terrorist organisation usually do, shot police, set bombs, organised riots, by the time my regiment were sent in for peace keeping purposes, shit had hit the fan, there were attacks every day the local law enforcement couldn't handle it and their police officers tactics of internment and police brutality were not effective, they even caused more people to join the AIA."

MD: "How were you and your fellow marines treated by the colonists?"

JS: "Oh they hated us, kids threw stones at us and our vehicles, people spat on us, hurled abuse"

MS: "Why do you think there was so much hatred for the Alliance?"

JS: "You have to remember these people had been struggling for many years on their own, when they wanted Alliance protection they didn't get it, their lives were hard and the Alliance wasn't making it any easier with harsh taxes and large production quotas"

MD: "What activities did your unit take part in?"

JS: "Crowd control, bomb disposal, gun fights in the streets a little bit of everything, Otto loved the never ending violence he relished in it however I, I had doubts"

MD: "You sympathised with the colonists?"

JS: "Your God damn right I sympathised with them, I was a colony boy too I understood where they came from, I tried hard to form good relations with civilians but they all saw me as just another marine jar head come to take their planet away from them, the constant paranoia was unbearable, a hover car that just parked beside you could suddenly explode or a sniper bullet could tear through your armours shields at any moment while you were out on patrol"

MD: "Did you lose any troopers while on Avionsyl?"

JS: "Yes three men from my squad, those were the first soldiers to die under my command, I tried to have my sergeant rank revoked but my superiors told me I was too good of an officer to be put back as a grunt, and that the Alliance needed me to restore peace on the planet so I stayed on and did the best I could"

MD: "I take it Mr Malarky didn't share those views"

JS: "Oh hell no Otto loved it, he said serving on Avionsyl was like a never ending adrenaline rush that's why he always singed on for the next tour, however me and Otto's time on Avionsyl would come to an end after our third tour"

MD: "What happened?"

JS: "We were in a convoy moving from the space port to our base in the centre of the city, it was a routine move my squad and I had just come back from our leave and were returning to active duty, our convoy was hit by an ambush, an entire cell of AIA fighters shot at us with assault weapons, sniper rifles and heavy rocket launchers, two makos were destroyed utterly their chaises exploding, my squad bundled out of the mako to find cover we ducked down behind the upturned mako's where our fellow marines had died just seconds before, than we held the line we fought for over fifteen minutes but we held the line"

(This statement is followed by a long pause and a sigh from the commander)

JS: "By the time reinforcements arrived it was just me and Otto left, there wasn't much left of the resistance cell that attacked us either, bodies of AIA and alliance marine were scattered across the street, three makos were destroyed and over twenty marines died, thirty AIA fighters were killed, over an entire cell, when Otto and I surveyed the wreckage we saw the bodies of teenagers among the AIA dead, they wanted us off their home, later that night Otto and I hit the bar once we were declared all clear by the medics, Otto got hammered and hooked up with a couple of girls, he wanted me to come but I declined, I wanted a few hours to myself, I thought about my squad mates who had died, those kids id shot, and I wondered what the hell was it for, at least when I was in prison it was pretty black and white kill to stay alive, politics didn't come into it, it was at that moment when I was approached by a yung intelligent looking individual, he sat down beside me and we started talking"

MS: "About what?"

JS: "Politcs, soldiering, what's right and wrong, it was a pretty deep conversation for two men at a dingy club bar, there was something about him that made me spill my life story to him, he had the same views as me and he understood my pain, than he offered me a job where I could serve humanity as a whole, not just for a bunch of corrupt politicians but humanity as a species."

MD: "What job did this man offer you?"

JS: "A place in Cerberus"

End of file

(Ok thanks to everyone who's followed this story, please review, reviews are addicting and make me feel warm inside, and thank you shuttey for the review it made my day, next chapter will be up soon please review)


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